Threnody: Verse
by Kimberley
Summary: Bejiita, Piccolo, Gokuu and Gohan are sent to our world when testing one of Buruma's machines for her -- and discover some things better left unknown.
1. Startstop

  
  
=========================================================================  
  
  
Threnody = Verse01: Startstop  
Author = Gabriyel Crowwe [gabriyel@planetnamek.org]  
Website = http://gabriyel.artshost.com/dbz  
  
  
=====  
  
  
Prelude  
  
  
+  
  
  
"Gohan?"  
  
Gohan looked up to his father, black eyes shifting from the  
television. "Hai?"  
  
Gokuu beamed down to his son. "We're going to go to Capsule  
Corps to visit Buruma. Piccolo is coming too."  
  
Gohan glanced to his show as it entered commercials, then  
looked to Piccolo, standing beside his father, then his eyes looked  
back to Gokuu. "Um, why? I'm watching my show, Waiyaado. You know  
okaa-san never lets me watch it. Please, otou-san?"  
  
Gokuu shook his head, frowning. "Buruma needs for us to test  
some new machine. Out of uniform, I must add. It can't be that import-  
ant, we'll be back soon. I'm sure you can tape your show." Gokuu  
suddenly burst into his trademark grin. "Just don't tell kaa-san."  
  
Gohan sighed. "It's almost over, nevermind ..."  
  
Gokuu frowned again, deep in thought. Piccolo rolled his eyes,  
folding his arms over his chest in impatience.  
  
"I have an idea ... I'll rent the Waiyaado movie for you, ne?"  
Gokuu suggested, grinning once again.  
  
Gohan grinned wide. "Hai! Domo arigato, Otou-san!"  
  
Gokuu smield back, sweatdropping. 'I don't see what he likes  
in that show ... it's so odd ...'  
  
  
+  
  
  
End Prelude  
  
  
=====  
  
It was a 'messy' day, wet and muddy, tinged with a heavy fog  
that seemed to cause the atmosphere to become a pea soup. Of course, I  
hated pea soup. I hated peas altogether.  
  
I was just spitting out the remainder of my toothpaste, hair  
held back with a free hair. A few chocolate-brown curly strands fell  
into my face, but I managed to blow them out of my face without  
getting toothpaste onto them. I looked up at my reflection, brown eyes  
framed by a pair of wire-rimmed glasses, and I set my toothpaste down,  
drying my face with a towel before I left the bathroom, grabbing my  
favourite blue jacket and sliding on my black sneakers before I headed  
out into the chilly day.  
  
I took long strides to keep hurried, walking along the black  
asphalt sidewalks of my hometown, heading for main street. I slowwed  
down when I began to warm up, however, and waited for the frosty air  
to cool me down again to a more comfortable level as I continued.  
  
I crossed the road one last time, reaching Mrianna's home. I   
rang the doorbell and waited, leaning against the waist-high metal  
fencing on her doorstep. I folded my arms over my chest, looking up to  
the clouded sky.  
  
My name is Gabriyel Crowwe. I suppose now is as good a time to  
tell you that as any. I'm a basic fourteen year old girl. I go to a   
junior high school in town, within walking distance so I don't have to  
take a bus, and am in grade nine. I hate pop music, especially the   
Backstreet Boys or Hanson, and love anything hard, like KoRn or   
Metallica. I suppose I'm not too different from anyone else in my   
school, except for a few odd quirks. You know. Insanity. Being morbid.  
Depression.  
  
Mrianna finally came to answer the door. I looked down from  
the sky to look at her, and she gave me a big I-didn't-do-anything  
grin. I blinked several times, as if clearing my eyes to see if she  
really was trying to act so innocent.  
  
"What'd you do now?" I interrogated as she ushered me in,   
scowling at the dark-haired girl.  
  
She grinned only wider, her blue-green eyes sparkling   
mischeviously. Her skin looked tanned, and yet she was barely ever in  
the sun. Perhaps, in a way, I felt glad I had such alabaster skin,  
even if mine was so pink-tinted.  
  
Mrianna Skydan was older than me. She was nearly sixteen and  
in grade eleven. Hell, she went to the high school, and when I got to  
be in the same school she would be in her senior (and last) year. I  
wondered how we managed to be friends amidst the big generation gap.  
So it wasn't that big a generation gap, I considered myself mature,  
but still ... it was a big grade level gap. Kind of.  
  
Mrianna didn't seem to mind. She wasn't the type to have many  
friends, I suppose. She was bubbly and hyper, sure, but more into  
having internet friends than any that didn't involve keyboards and  
monitors and wires.  
  
I heard voices, and suspected Mrianna had company. I followed  
her into the living room, actually expecting to see her cousins and  
aunt Alexa in there. I think I nearly went into shock.  
  
They weren't her relatives.  
  
"Look! It's Piccolo and he's greeeen!"  
  
  
=====  
  
  
After my heart started beating again, Mrianna sat down on the  
couch aside a small child with pitch black hair and matching eyes. I  
sat beside her, folded my legs so I went into one of those Indian-  
style positions, in the corner of the couch, jacket set on my lap.  
  
"Gabriyel, meet Bejiita, Gokuu, Gohan, and Piccolo ... every-  
one, this is Gabriyel. We had it planned that we'd go walking around  
town, I should have called her to tell her something was up," Mrianna  
beamed, trying to look as innocent as possible.  
  
Gokuu sweatdropped and waved to me from the armchair,  
separated by the couch only by a coffee table.  
  
"Joy," I mumbled, then glaring at Mrianna. "Why the heck  
didn't you call to tell me a collection of cartoon characters popped  
into our dimension?!"  
  
Mrianna smiled primly, her ever-existant smile, and shrugged.  
"I forgot. It kinda happened really weird. One moment I'm at the  
computer, there's this flash outside, I look and they're on my lawn.  
Neat, eh?"  
  
"Not 'neat'!" I screeched. "Why are they here?"  
  
Gokuu cleared his throat to end our conversation. "Buruma had  
this teleportation experiment she wanted us to try out. I suppose we  
got a little off track. And we only arrived ten minutes ago."  
  
I folded my arms over my chest, silent. I looked over to  
Mrianna, scowling. She could of at least told me.  
  
Dragon Ball Z was my favourite cartoon to watch. It was an  
anime, and while the animation and art was not the best, it's plot-  
lines and character development was not something to scoff at. I  
suppose it's a little redundant to say I was in love with it. I was  
merely ... obsessed.  
  
I looked to my watch. Eight ten. Did that mean they had  
arrived at eight o'clock? I looked back up, recognising the faces,  
even though they were third dimensional and no longer cartoony.  
  
Gokuu was, as always, built strong and fierce, also tall. He  
was alien, and it showed in his facial structure. His eyes were black,  
and his spiked hair even blacker, if there was such a thing. He was  
sitting and looking quite comfortable, wearing a pair of old blue  
jeans and a blue T-shirt. Quite different from his usual orange GI  
uniform.  
  
Beside Mrianna sat Gokuu's son, Gohan. He looked more human,  
with slightly slanted eyes to show off how his mother, Chi Chi, was  
Japanese. His hair was not as spiked at Gokuu's, but was still  
abnormally messy. He was young, possibly seven or eight, and very  
muscled for someone his age.  
  
In an armchair in the corner, across from Gokuu, sat Bejiita,  
the Saiya-jin prince. His dark brown hair, nearly black, was spiking  
upwards, making him look taller, not to mention making him look like  
he had a black horn halo or perhaps a crown. He didn't wear armour,  
but wore a long-sleeved black T-shirt and a pair of black leather  
trousers with matching boots. His black eyes regarded me coldly, and I  
noticed how dark his skin was, similar to Mrianna's.  
  
And then was the most obvious alien of them all -- Piccolo.  
For years, my biggest obsession of the crew. And there he was, plain  
as day. Emerald skin, elven ears, and insect antennae, with narrow  
black eyes and pink patches on his arms and legs, over his muscles. He  
was the only one not dressed casually, wearing a navy blue GI with a  
white cape and a matching turban, with funny-looking brown shoes that  
looked like slippers.  
  
It was odd seeing them all three dimensionsial. Their skin was  
not the flawless paint-coloured paper as on the show, and scars were  
evident on the bare skin they revealed, old scars and new.  
  
Was this a dream? If so, why was it so detailed?  
  
"How long will you be in this universe?" I inquired, staring  
at Mrianna with a harsh expression before back to Gokuu.  
  
"Uh ..." Gokuu glanced down to a watch on his arm. "Eleven  
hours and roughly forty minutes."  
  
I brought my legs down, eying the collection of males with a  
wry expression. "You do understand that you are indeed cartoons?"  
  
"Some of us don't absorb information as quickly, such as Kaka-  
rotto, but yes. And I accept it. After all, you are mere animations on  
our world as well," came the low-pitched icy voice of Bejiita-sama. I  
smirked in response. Who would of guessed? They knew English.  
  
"Namek-jin and Saiya-jin know most languages. Gohan and Gokuu  
were taught English by Chi Chi," voiced Piccolo in his deep baritone,  
almost as if he had read my mind, which was, no doubt, probably not  
out of his grasp.  
  
I looked at him, tilting my head almost birdlike, before  
looking to Mrianna. "That makes sense. But, we're a cartoon?"  
  
"Waiyaado. It's from Canada, actually, and really called  
Wired, but Waiyaado sounds better, don't you think?" Gohan piped up.  
  
I looked down to him, giving him a blank, but surprised, look,  
before my lips curved into a sly smile. "I feel special."  
  
"I feel hungry," Gokuu added, rubbing his stomach as it  
audibly gurgled and growled it's anger.  
  
Mrianna took light in the situation and just as she was about  
to announce something from that whimsical little brain of hers, the  
doorbell rang.  
  
"Hmm. Let's hope it's not another of your little friends,"  
Bejiita grumbled.  
  
"I'm five foot two, thank you very much."  
  
"He didn't mean height, Gabe," Mrianna said as she hopped up  
to answer the door.  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Duh." Some people seriously can't joke.  
  
Mrianna brought a finger under her eye, pulling down the eye-  
lid and sticking out her tongue. I put my head in my hand, shaking my  
head. She flashed me that famous grin of hers and went out to the  
corridor.  
  
I sat back in my seat, looking down to an image laying on the  
table, picking it up. I was of Gohan and Gokuu, both in SuperSaiyajin  
form. At least it looked like Gohan and Gokuu. I had a feeling it was  
Goten and Gohan, Gohan never went Super Saiya-jin that young.  
  
To my knowledge.  
  
I shook my head and put it back down, gazing up as my other  
friend, Lilith White, entered with Mrianna. Lilith waved to me.  
  
"Hey, Gabe. When'd you get here?" Lilith asked.  
  
I shrugged, and didn't reply. I was still shell shocked from  
the appearance of the cartoon characters. I suppose I was probably shy  
as well. Adults are not my forte, I hate talking to people who are   
really older than me. Besides. They could zap my head off. Which  
wouldn't be that bad, but still.  
  
Mrianna took this moment to announce that she would take us  
all to the pizzeria -- and pay for it herself.  
  
Lilith and I exchanged worried looks before we both, in uni-  
son, glanced to Gokuu. Even if he was once a cartoon, he was real now.  
If he was as much into eating as he was on Dragon Ball Z, I had a  
feeling Mrianna would be in for a little surprise ...  
  
  
=====  
  
  
Red Hot Chilli Peppers played 'Otherworld' as we sat down at  
the restaurant in the corner. Mrianna, Gohan, Lilith and I sat in the  
booth, Gokuu and Bejiita in chairs. Piccolo had not come -- after all,  
he was green and not exactly sociable.  
  
I was attempting to get my mind straightened out as Mrianna  
explained to Lilith what was going on. I don't know how she was taking  
it, she was staring at Mrianna in open mouthed horror ... or maybe it  
was surprise? Human emotions are such complicated objects to me.  
  
I traced my finger along the transparent glass over the table  
cloth and placemats. Why anyone would have the cloth and placemats  
underneath a sheet of glass is beyond me, but the pizzeria seemed to  
like it. They had nice placemats, detailed maps of Nova Scotia, so I  
suppose it wasn't that bad.  
  
I watched my black nailpolish leave a trail from 'Liverpool'  
to 'Truro'. My friend, Jessica, had moved to Truro earlier that year.  
At that point in time, Jessica, and my other friend Adonia had been my  
only friends -- my best friends. Jessica moved, and I was transferred  
to a different less-troubling classroom where I made friends again  
with Alison and Kim, two girls I had gotten in a major fight with at  
the beginning of the school year, and Adonia betrayed me. I gave up on  
best friends altogether after Adonia and Jessica. I suppose though,  
Lilith and Mrianna would be my best friends if you really got down to  
it. But I would never admit it to them ... I didn't even admit I was  
anyone's friend, save for Kim.  
  
"You ready to order?"  
  
I was shaken out of my reverie by Lilith. I looked up at her,  
eyes narrowed slightly as I pushed all memories to the back of my  
mind, as I did with emotions and feelings. Lilith was the same height  
as Mrianna, albeit thinner, even though she was younger. She had  
strawberry-blonde hair up in a curly pony-tail, and her hazel eyes  
regarded me, awaiting my response. She had glasses, just as I.  
  
"I don't know," I glanced at the menu by my left hand. "Um,  
I'll just get my usual, I guess."  
  
"Small panzerotti and a coke?" Gohan queried.  
  
I blinked several times before staring at him. Oh, yes. The  
cartoons. Still here. For a moment I thought perhaps they gone.  
Reality sucks sometimes.  
  
'Funny, one would think I'd enjoy them being here ...' I  
thought to myself, turning back to Lilith.  
  
"What he said," I muttered.  
  
Lilith nodded, smirking. "Maybe I'll order for you. I think  
you're in shock."  
  
I turned red and sighed, twisting to turn back to map and  
rubbing the nail polish lines off the glass, nodding. "So do I."  
  
Gokuu chuckled nervously, placing a hand on the back of his  
head in that unique little way that anime caricatures do. "Eh heh.  
Don't feel bad. I'm confused as much as you are. Who thought Buruma  
could send us to a separate continent?"  
  
"Let alone another dimension," Bejiita grumbled, arms folded  
over his chest in that unique little way that Bejiita-sama does. He  
said something in Japanese, but I didn't understand it, sans the  
name 'Buruma'.  
  
At least he wasn't talking about me.  
  
  
=====  
  
  
"Mri, where are your parents in all of this?" I inquired of   
Mrianna as we left the pizzeria, in a tidy little group. Bejiita and  
Gokuu were behind us, talking in Japanese, while Lilith and I were  
following Mrianna and Gohan, who were seemingly very close.  
  
"They went to Halifax until Monday. I suppose now is the time  
to realize I shouldn't have left Justin alone with Piccolo?" Mrianna  
answered, the end question rather bashful. Justin Skydan was Mrianna's  
younger brother -- who just happened to be older than me and in grade  
ten. To me he was more of her older younger brother. Err ... um, yeah.  
  
If I had been in an anime I would be sweatdropping. Instead I  
just smacked my forehead. Justin and Piccolo in a house together?!  
They'd either kill each other, ignore each other, or decide to play  
some mass murder video game together. That was an interesting vision,  
Piccolo playing Nintendo Sixty-four. Also terrifying.  
  
"Convenient ... anime characters show up at your front door  
and your parents are out of the house for the weekend," Lilith  
commented.  
  
"Actually it was the back door, but, yeah," Mrianna agreed.  
"Weird, too. Too bad they didn't take Justin with them."  
  
  
=====  
  
  
Mrianna settled Gokuu down in front of the television,  
watching the Simpsons. Bejiita sat on the couch, snarling at me as I  
walked past the doorway with a sharp, harsh gaze. I rolled my eyes,  
ignoring him. Egotistical jerk ...  
  
"Speaking of egotistical jerks ..." I thought aloud, wandering  
into the kitchen and all the time wondering where Piccolo had run off  
to. Maybe he really was playing video games with Justin.  
  
Mrianna, Gohan and Lilith had gone off to the computer, and  
were playing Bôa, Limp Bizkit, and Garbage while they chatted away on  
the different messengers. It was ironic. To him, we were the cartoon  
and he had been implanted into our world. To us, he was the cartoon  
and he had been implanted into reality. Implanted, but definitly not  
staying.  
  
I felt glad. I didn't like Gohan as much as I did before.  
Perhaps because he didn't seem as fond of myself as I was of him. Or  
perhaps it was just because of the fact that the faces on the tele-  
vision shows really are different in reality ... or riaritii, depend-  
ing on your nationality. I grimaced. Either way, I hated the meaning  
of the words. Sometimes.  
  
'What really is, and what really isn't are two lines separated  
by reality ...'  
  
Damn, I think weird.  
  
I considered going to join Bejiita and Gokku, or perhaps even  
the others. My thoughts were disrupted for perhaps the tenth time that  
day, when I heard the door shut loudly to me left. Mrianna's back and  
front porches were set so there was one door, a porch, and another  
porch. The second door opened into either the corridor, such as the  
case with the front, or to the kitchen, as with the back. The second  
door opened and Piccolo stood in the doorway, leaning against the  
wood, long fingernails cutting into the wooden doorframe.  
  
My brow rose. "Piccolo ... ?"  
  
He gritted his teeth, scowling at me, but didn't speak. It was  
then I noticed how his eyes, originally black-colored, were changing  
to an odd dark shade of brown, and seemed to blanch as every second  
passed. I took a step back, watching him with narrowed eyes.  
  
"Piccoro-sama ..." I whispered.  
  
  
=========================================================================  
  



	2. Changeover

  
  
=========================================================================  
  
  
Threnody = Verse02: Changeover  
Author = Gabriyel Crowwe [gabriyel@planetnamek.org]  
Website = http://gabriyel.artshost.com/dbz  
  
  
=====  
  
  
Prelude  
  
  
+  
  
  
Piccolo was laying on Mrianna's bed, asleep. One long-nailed  
hand was resting on his heaving chest, sweat on every speck of skin as  
his organs and bones rearranged themselves. His skin had paled, and was  
in the middle of changing to a white-peach colour, his other hand had  
grasped hold of the blanket by his waist, clenching it into a tight  
fist. His antennae had completely disappeared, as had the patches of  
pale pinkish tan overlying where his once Namekjin muscles had been.  
  
Bejiita sat on the end of the bed, elbows on his knees and  
hands folded together tightly as he stared at his reflection in the  
mirror. He glared at himself, eyes already a dark hazel. His hairline  
had grown in where it had once been receded, making his forehead look  
more regular. His hair had fallen down straight to his back, reaching  
midway down his spine. His skin remained tanned, but the agony of his  
organs changing inside his lithe body had made him paler and sweating.  
  
Would he become himself again? When they returned to their  
original universe, where Saiyajin and Namekjin existed?  
  
If they returned.  
  
Gokuu entered, much in the same condition as himself. His  
hands were stuffed into his pockets, black hair straightened and  
falling about his head in a very messy manner. He looked at Bejiita  
with sympathetic dark brown eyes, lips held together tightly so much  
that the skin on them blanched.  
  
Bejiita looked up to him, eyes harsh and just as stony as  
before, but without the metallic black. "I don't need your pity."  
  
Gokuu looked over to the ailing Piccolo, shrugging, speech  
reverting to Japanese. "Gabriyel seems pretty worried about us. Odd,  
ne? She doesn't even know us ..."  
  
"She likes the Green Bean," Bejiita snarled, also in Japanese.  
"She's nothing but a weak child."  
  
Gokuu rubbed the back of his neck. "Kinda weird though. Mrianna  
is nursing over Gohan as if she were his mother--"  
  
"Or a girlfriend?" Bejiita asked slyly. "If it weren't for the  
age difference they would be swooning over each other."  
  
Gokuu turned red. "Hai ... I know what you mean. Maybe even  
Lilith too. They made tea and coffee ... you want to come downstairs?"  
  
Bejiita glanced at his reflection in the mirror before standing  
and folding his arms over his chest. "I'll come. It's better than being  
stuck in this pigsty."  
  
"Yeah ... Mrianna needs to clean up," Gokuu chuckled, as he  
left the room, door still open. Bejiita took hold of it in his left  
hand, scanning the room, then his gaze redirected itself to Piccolo's  
fallen body. Bejiita 'harrumphed' before turning and leaving the room,  
shutting the door rather loudly behind him.  
  
  
+  
  
  
End Prelude  
  
  
=====  
  
  
I glanced up at the sight of movement in the corner of my eye,  
then back down to the picture I was sketching, realising it was only  
Gokuu and Bejiita, heading for the kitchen. I heard a snarl from  
Bejiita, most definitely directed towards me. Then I heard the phone  
ring, and Mrianna obviously answered it.  
  
Amazing ... people really could get through the phone lines.  
Usually Mrianna or Justin were on the computer, specifically the  
Internet.  
  
I was sitting in the living room, Lilith sitting beside me. We  
were both drawing, I continued to glance up at her artwork, marvelling  
at the excellent line-work. Why do all my friends draw better than me?  
  
"Gabe! Phone!"  
  
I reluctantly set down the clipboard and pencil I was drawing  
with, stood and headed to the computer room. Odd enough, Mrianna had a  
phone by her computer, and always had. I think Justin put it there, he  
used the phone a lot, often in conjunction with the time he spent at  
the computer. I took it from her hand and turned the volume down on  
the music playing from the computer speakers.  
  
"Hullo?" I queried.  
  
"Honey, when do you plan on coming home?" came my mother's  
voice. I glanced at the clock. Ten thirty. My mother seriously did not  
give me a fair curfew ...  
  
"Just a second," I answered before I looked up at Mrianna.  
"When do you plan on kicking me out?"  
  
Mrianna shrugged. She was sitting at the kitchen table, Gohan  
across from her, Bejiita and Gokuu sitting parallel to her on either  
side, each drinking either tea or coffee.  
  
"You can be a little more specific, Mri," I grumbled. "My  
mother is on the phone."  
  
"Oh, hmm ... we could whip out some blankets and you and  
Lilith could stay overnight, if you're allowed," Mrianna suggested.  
  
I sighed, rubbing my left temple before turning back to the  
phone. "Overnight?"  
  
"Sure!" my mother said just a little too enthusiastically.  
"Do you need anything?"  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Toothbrush and stuff ... change of clothes,  
hairbrush, et cetera."  
  
"Blaine and I will be driving by on our way to Milton, we can  
drop you off some things then," my mother said. "See you in a few."  
  
"You really want me out of the house, don't you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Heh ... well, bye, mum."  
  
"Goodbye."  
  
I hung up, rather quickly I must add, and sighed. "She's drop-  
ping some stuff off ... she and Blaine are going out, I guess."  
  
"Oh, lucky you," Mrianna said.  
  
"Mri, I'm staying here."  
  
"Oh yeah ... heh, whoops."  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Goddess ..."  
  
  
=====  
  
  
Mother arrived fifteen minutes later.  
  
"Gabe, it's your mom!" Mrianna called from the front door.  
  
I stood, once again abandoning my artwork to go see my mother.  
She handed me a bag, looking cautiously into Mrianna's house, and past  
me to the kitchen, where she noticed Gokuu.  
  
"Honey, does Mrianna have company?"  
  
"No, that's Gokuu, her babysitter."  
  
"Are you sure it's all right with him?"  
  
"Oh yeah, of course. He's very understanding. Bye, mom."  
  
"Hmm, all right, if you're sure ..."  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
"Goodbye, dear," my mother waved, leaving the doors. I shut  
them behind her, letting out a sigh of relief.  
  
"I should have told her to bring some aspirin."  
  
  
=====  
  
  
"Are we going to get any sleep tonight?" Mrianna asked.  
  
I looked to Lilith, who looked to me, and we both turned back  
to Mrianna, shaking our heads.  
  
"Didn't think so," Mrianna said, giving up the thumbs up and  
returning to the computer, Gohan enjoying the Battle Arena.  
  
"This is so screwed it's not even funny," I muttered. "If the  
guys wake up, they will be so pissed once they hear about Piccolo ..."  
  
Lilith laughed, going back to her picture. I looked up as move-  
ment caught my eye, and I noticed a pale figure walk past the door. My  
brow rose. 'Must be Piccolo ...'  
  
I heard Gohan squeal out a name, and I set my picture down,  
walking out into the kitchen. Gohan was hugging around Piccolo's waist,  
who still looked quite a bit shakey.  
  
"Jealous, Mrianna? He loves the alien more than he does you,"  
I remarked, stepping past the brunette and grabbing a glass to get my-  
self a drink.  
  
"Hey, so do you!" Mrianna retorted.  
  
I put up my middle finger as I opened the fridge, taking out  
some kool-aid. "Shut up."  
  
"You shut up!"  
  
"Both of you, shut up," Lilith broke into our little argument.  
  
"Actually, it was quite interesting," Bejiita commented from  
his mug of coffee.  
  
"You would think so," Gokuu chuckled nervously. "So, um, Picco-  
lo, how are you feeling?"  
  
"Better," Piccolo grumbled, sitting down at the table.  
  
"Back to his old monosyllabic self, I see," Bejiita smirked.  
"Of course, he isn't exactly a green bean anymore ..."  
  
Piccolo scowled at Bejiita. If looks could kill, Bejiita would  
be shredded apart like one of Jack the Ripper's victims. I smirked,  
sipping my kool-aid, as Bejiita glared back at Piccolo.  
  
"Well, this is getting nowhere fast," Gokuu chuckled nervously.  
"Um ... coffee, Piccolo? Tea?"  
  
"No, however I believe rest is in order."  
  
"Maybe we should all get to sleep ... we're obviously getting  
very cranky," Gokuu suggested.  
  
"Oh no, Mrianna and Gabe are always like that," Lilith said  
matter-of-factly.  
  
"Yeah," Mrianna patted me on the top of the head. "She's my  
little Green Bean lover."  
  
I think I turned a shade redder. "At least he's not a six-year  
old kid ... Pedophile."  
  
"Told you," Bejiita mumbled to Gokuu, sipping his tea.  
  
Gokuu cleared his throat. "Um, just the same, I think I'm tired  
too ... uh, where are we going to sleep?"  
  
"Well ... two of you can sleep in my parent's room. Um, Piccolo  
can probably take my room. I guess Lilith, Gabe and I can sleep on the  
floor in the living room. Gohan can have the couch."  
  
"Once again, Mrianna misunderstands the rules of Dragonball  
Z. Never, ever place Bejiita and Gokuu in the same room together, let  
alone the same bed," I stated matter-of-factly. "In fact, when it comes  
to Bejiita, maybe you should just give him his own room, unless you  
want to clean blood out of carpet."  
  
"It's only one night, right?" Gokuu asked, sweatdropping.  
  
Bejiita folded his arms over his chest. "Hmph."  
  
I examined my fingernails. "I tell you to be careful, but no,  
no one listens to the little Gothic bi--"  
  
"Could Gohan sleep with Piccolo and Gokuu have the couch?" Mri  
suggested, interrupting my ramble.  
  
"I think that's safer," Gohan spoke up.  
  
"Yeah, that works," Gokuu nodded, looking over to Piccolo, who  
was looking quite passive about the whole situation.  
  
"Okay, good," Mrianna said, giving us all her usual cheerful  
grin. I would have sweatdropped, but I wasn't a cartoon.  
  
Exactly.  
  
  
=====  
  
  
I awoke to voices.  
  
"Mrianna? Wake up, we have to go."  
  
I opened an eyelid, noticing Mrianna asleep nearby under a  
pile of blankets, Gohan shaking her. I shut my eye and sat up, running  
a hand through my messied hair. "Damn, what time is it?"  
  
"Um, seven fifty," I heard Gokuu say.  
  
"Too early," I muttered, laying back down.  
  
"Goodbye to you too," I heard Gokuu mutter.  
  
"Thibbit."  
  
"Thib ... bit?"  
  
"Gohan, leaving already?" I heard Mrianna say.  
  
"Um, yeah ... couple of minutes. Thanks for everything, it was  
really cool meeting you guys," I heard Gohan reply.  
  
"No problem ... hey, Gohan, if you meet anyone named Videl  
Satan? Promise me you'll stay away from her, okay?"  
  
"Um, okay. Why?"  
  
"Oh? Uh, nothing. She's just a very bad person. Very bad."  
  
I cupped a hand over my mouth so I wouldn't burst into laugh-  
ter. After all, Videl and Gohan get married when they get older.  
  
"Okay. I promise. Bye, Mrianna. Goodbye, Lilith. Bye, Gabe."  
  
"Bye."  
  
"Goodbye," I heard Lilith's voice state.  
  
"Whatever," I mumbled, turning over and hiding under the  
blankets, which got a laugh out of Mrianna. "Shuddap."  
  
"You shut up."  
  
"I didn't say anything, I'm trying to sleep!"  
  
"Goodbye," I heard Gokuu say, just as I fell back to sleep.  
  
  
=====  
  
  
The next Friday following I sat in front of the tele-  
vision, awaiting for Dragonball Z to air. There were the usual guests,  
the presences of Mrianna and Lilith, both sitting on the couch beside  
me, waiting and practically sitting on the edge of their seats.  
  
I was taking a little more setback approach, but I still  
waited, heart in my throat. Why, I didn't know. After all, it was only  
a cartoon. There had been no evidence they had even been there, save  
for the wrinkled sheets which we could have caused ourselves. The  
others were not as sceptical as I, and believed thoroughly that indeed  
the quartet had visited us.  
  
I looked over to them. Why would they be so naive? We're  
Wiccans, we have psychic dreams, why not shared ones?  
  
Mrianna looked to me. I think she knew I was doubtful. She  
grinned. "You know someone left something when they left."  
  
I felt my brow raise. "Huh?"  
  
Mrianna grinned wider, opening the bag by her feet and taking  
out a white garment styled in the shape of a hat. I blinked.  
  
"Piccolo left his turban?"  
  
"He must have forgotten," Lilith said, smiling.  
  
"They really were here," I muttered, looking back to the tele-  
vision as the theme song, which I still hate to this day, and the image  
of Shenlong was produced onto the screen.  
  
Cool.  
  
  
=========================================================================  
  



	3. Instrumental

  
  
=========================================================================  
  
  
Threnody = Verse03: Instrumental  
Author = Gabriyel Crowwe [gabriyel@planetnamek.org]  
Website = http://gabriyel.artshost.com/dbz  
  
  
=====  
  
  
I awoke in the middle of the night to a voice. A low-pitched,  
baritone voice. I yawned and turned over, opening my eyes to darkness.  
A black sheen fell over the room, shadows, none moving. Outside, I  
heard rain pour down onto the little house in bucketful's of the stuff.  
I sat up slowly, rubbing my tired eyes free of sleep, and looked about.  
  
One of the darkest shadows moved and I squinted, thinking to  
be seeing things. Just then, a pale white flash of light filled the  
room, and my mystery visitor was revealed with a sudden burst of  
lightning.  
  
"P-piccoro-sama?" I half-stuttered, half-whispered, reaching  
over to my dresser to grab my glasses, only to have them pushed into my  
trembling hands roughly by the black shadow. I slid them on and looked  
up, running nervous fingers through my dishevelled dark brown hair.  
Thunder roared.  
  
The black shadow moved in silence, sitting down on the bed and  
making the old wood and mattress groan under his weight, most of which  
being muscle. I moved my legs up out of his way, getting into an  
Indian-style position identical to his own.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I hissed, a chills creeping along my  
spine, feeling immense excitement and fear from the Namekjin creature  
sitting in my bedroom.  
  
"It's something Gohan explained to me," Piccolo voiced.  
  
"Being?"  
  
"Crushes."  
  
I hesitated. Oh boy ... what had Gohan told him? To think, I  
had once nearly had a crush on the rugrat. He hated me though, I knew  
it, and the feeling was quite mutual.  
  
I flicked on the lamp on the bedside bureau, the black lamp-  
shade keeping the light low. I cringed as my eyes burnt behind half-  
shut lids, and then opened them to look at Piccolo.  
  
"You've changed," he stated, rather flatly.  
  
"It's been two years," I spoke, brows furrowed. "You have too."  
  
Piccolo's thick brows knit together, darkening his eyes. "It's  
been ten years."  
  
I gave him a contemplative expression, setting my elbows on my  
knees and lacing my fingers together, setting my chin on them to stare  
at the dark-coloured comforter below me. "Time must travel differently  
there."  
  
"Yes. We were gone nearly three days during our twelve-hour  
visit, in our world."  
  
"Aren't you worried you'll end up human again?"  
  
"Somewhat. But I plan on leaving before then."  
  
I looked up to him, remembering his transformation to humanity  
from Namekjin, and how different he had been. Personality-wise, as  
well as physically. He had been so quiet as a human. Non-verbal.  
Keeping to himself. Of course, it had been but twelve hours, and he  
was always very monosyllabic.  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
"I chose to be."  
  
"That explains a whole lot."  
  
"It was upon Gohan's explanation of a human crush and your  
apparent 'crush' on me, that I grew fascinated. So. What makes you  
like me so much?"  
  
"Well, er, um, I ... it's just you. It's kind of hard to  
explain," I felt my cheeks burn red, and I looked to my hands,  
picking at my nail polish.  
  
I was rather confused at this point of time. Was this a dream  
or not? The first time I had come in contact with Piccolo I had thought  
it was a dream, but it turned out it wasn't. I bit my lower lip to the  
point to drawing blood.  
  
I looked up to see Piccolo examining me, a brow raised. "I  
sincerely don't understand you, Gabriyel."  
  
I tilted my head. I had never heard Piccolo actually call me  
by my name before. It was weird. Of course, I hadn't exactly talked to  
Piccolo a lot in the twelve hours he had spent at Mrianna's home.  
  
"I don't really understand you either, Piccolo," I replied. "I  
know your entire past, and possibly everything about you. I even know  
everything about your father, and even Kami and Neil. And yet, I still  
don't understand you."  
  
Piccolo eyed me warily. "Everything?"  
  
"Anything your creators ever said about you. Everything  
explained in the series. Of course, I have no idea about Dragonball  
GT...." I trailed off. "Test me."  
  
"Hmph. Fine. How was I born?"  
  
"Gokuu killed your father, and rather last minute, before his  
death, he spit an egg out through his chest. It's how all Namekjin  
reproduce. Then you were supposed to destroy Gokuu."  
  
"Never did."  
  
"Too bad. It was tragic. Your dad was cute, y'know?"  
  
"How could a human find a Namekjin attractive?"  
  
"Is this a trick question?"  
  
"No ... I'm merely asking you. Not the trivia you have stored  
in your head."  
  
"As in, why I'm infatuated with them? I have no idea, really.  
All I know is that it started with you and kind of blossomed to Dende  
and Neil."  
  
Piccolo let out a low growl. "You aren't seriously infatuated  
with me, are you?"  
  
I shrugged. "Yeah, kind of. I mean, we're a lot alike. At  
least, we were. Before you went soft."  
  
"I never went soft," Piccolo growled in protest.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, sure," I waved a hand absentmindedly in the air.  
"You don't like killing as much as before, that's for sure."  
  
"I'd like to see you try to kill someone," Piccolo grumbled.  
  
"You haven't seen me threaten Erin with the butcher knives ..."  
I said. As an afterthought, I added, "Erin's my little sister. Big pain  
in the ass."  
  
"Gohan has the same problem with Goten. The pain in the ass  
part. He would never threaten his brother."  
  
"I don't think Gohan likes me much."  
  
"You're right, he doesn't."  
  
"Hmm. Thought as much. I don't like him much either. He's  
too ... nice. I'm more used to the people who I can beat up. As you've  
seen with Mrianna."  
  
"I remember that. I recollect our little stay very vividly."  
  
"I've pretty much forgotten a lot of it. Except when I arrived  
at Mrianna's. I swear, I probably would have fainted. It's not everyday  
you meet the cartoon characters you've fawned over for the previous  
year or so."  
  
"Gabriyel! Turn off the television and get to sleep! I have  
school tomorrow!" came the voice of my fourteen-year old sister, Erin.  
  
"Screw off!" I shouted in reply, glaring to the door, desper-  
ately hoping Erin wouldn't come in. Two years ago we had shared rooms.  
Luckily, our parents built a room onto the back of the house, so I got  
my own room, their old one, and Erin kept our old one. Unfortunately,  
Erin's was right next to mine. Luckily, my parents' was in the back, so  
they couldn't hear our heated arguments.  
  
I heard Erin stomp off to her room and, rather loudly, shut her  
door. I folded my arms over my chest.  
  
"I hate my family," I turned to Piccolo. "You have no idea how  
lucky you are. You get to actually be alone. My family never leaves the  
house, it seems."  
  
"You could always kill them," Piccolo joked, giving a rather  
sideways grin, showing off his incredible teeth.  
  
"I always wanted fangs. Funky. I didn't know Namekjin used  
toothpaste."  
  
"How did this discussion go from infatuation to toothpaste?"  
Piccolo inquired, a brow raised.  
  
"You're talking with Gabriyel Adria Crowwe, here. If you were  
expecting a conversation that made sense, you should have tried talking  
to Lilith. She's the only sane one I know. Sane-est. Heh."  
  
Piccolo smirked a bit, still looking rather evil even when he  
attempted not to be. "Perhaps I should go now, and allow you to mass-  
murder your family."  
  
"Or attempt to."  
  
Piccolo fiddled with the watch on his wrist. I tilted my head.  
It was silvery and looked just like any Timex watch. I hadn't noticed  
it earlier, I suppose I was too busy to actually look at his wrists.  
  
"Seventy seconds," Piccolo announced, gazing down to the watch  
in anticipation for his leave.  
  
I shrugged to myself, leaning over and kissing his cheek.  
Piccolo looked up at me, a brow raised.  
  
"You know what a kiss is right?" I asked.  
  
"Yes, I do," Piccolo replied. "I've seen Gokuu kiss Chi-Chi  
many times ..."  
  
I smiled smugly. "Never been kissed before?"  
  
"Not really," Piccolo admitted. He looked back to his watch.  
  
I tilted my head again in a very birdlike fashion. Odd ... was  
his face taking on a purple hue? Wasn't his blood purple ... ?  
  
"Bye, Piccoro-sama."  
  
"Sayonara, Gabriyel."  
  
There was a flash of white light that filled the entire room,  
and then Piccolo was gone. Silence filled the room.  
  
I smiled to myself, and shut off the light, squirming back  
under the covers and turning onto my side.  
  
"Little do you know ... I haven't smiled in a very long time."  
  
  
=========================================================================  
  



	4. Stopstart

  
  
=========================================================================  
  
  
Threnody = Verse04: Stopstart  
Author = Gabriyel Crowwe [ gabriyel@planetnamek.org ]  
Website = http://gabriyel.artshost.com/dbz  
  
  
=====  
  
  
Prelude  
  
  
+  
  
  
"I can't wait for you to get home. You've missed a lot, you  
know."  
  
"I can't wait to see mom and dad. Maybe even Justin."  
  
"But next time, don't cut us off for two years wondering if you  
still exist or not, okay?"  
  
"Sure, Lilith. Whatever you say."  
  
Mrianna Skydan, a hyperactive dark-haired brunette with tanned  
skin and blue-green eyes, was driving the car, hair pulled into two curly  
pig-tails, streaked with blue, that flowed a little past her shoulders.  
Although it was night, she had her trademark sunglasses on, the starlit  
sky reflecting on the black lenses.  
  
Beside her sat Lilith White, a quiet strawberry-blonde who was  
far from being a bimbo. Her hazel eyes were narrowed in concentration as  
she focused on drawing, her hair pulled back into a high ponytail,  
reaching down her back a ways. Her glasses reflected the road, cars  
zipping past them on the other side of the road.  
  
Mrianna looked up to the sky. "Looks like a full moon. Are you  
two still into Wicca?"  
  
"Of course," Lilith looked up from her clipboard, grinning. Then  
her eyes grew wide as she stared straight ahead, and she let out a  
scream.  
  
  
=====  
  
  
The alarm beeped exactly ten times before the radio turned on.  
  
"... good morning, Nova Scotia! It's six o'clock and now we begin  
our usual top ten list for music. But first, some information on the  
weather and the news ..."  
  
Gabriyel Crowwe opened an eye lazily, to glare at the red numbers  
flashing on the small black box. It was set on her dresser, across from  
her bed, on the sole purpose that she would have to stand up to shut it  
off.  
  
Gabriyel growled something unintelligent under her breath,  
tossing her blankets away from her body and swinging her legs around the  
side of the bed, planting them firmly on the floor before she stood and  
headed to shut off the radio.  
  
She wasn't even in school anymore, it was summer and she had just  
gotten out of grade twelve, and had a glorious graduation, but she still  
forgot to shut off the radio. Force of habit, perhaps.  
  
Her dark brown hair, streaked with black, reached a little past  
her shoulders in messy waves. Her skin was deathly blanched, and almost  
amazingly so. Where her body had once been rounded, she was thin from  
unhealthy diets and unhealth altogether. Her hazel-brown eyes were still  
framed by thick black lashes, however, and she still seldom wore makeup.  
  
"... just south of Halifax. Those involved were said to be two  
young women, one eighteen and one twenty, although names have not been  
released as of yet, we will keep you posted on the ordeal. Now, our  
number ten hit, the newest from Korn ..."  
  
Gabriyel stared at the radio for a moment before she smacked her  
hand down hard on the top of the black box, trembling slightly.  
  
"Gabriyel? Honey, there's been an accident ..." her mother opened  
the door, looking in to her daughter.  
  
Gabriyel clenched her hand into a fist, stepping backwards and  
sitting on the bed, shutting her eyes tightly.  
  
"Mrianna and Lilith were hit by a drunk driver last night,  
heading home from Halifax ..."  
  
The rest of her mother's words were droned out as Gabriyel  
brought her hands to her face, exhaling deeply. Her friends were dead.  
Possibly her best friends, if she had any best friends. But she didn't  
cry. She couldn't. Literally.  
  
  
+  
  
  
End Prelude  
  
  
=====  
  
  
I suppose my life hadn't been the best from day one.  
  
My father had left us when I was around ten, and from there  
everything just went downhill. Mother got a boyfriend she grew infat-  
uation with, of whom I didn't like much, but no one exactly listened to  
me. I'd always had bad luck. Few friends, a crazy religion. And through  
it all there had always been Lilith and Mrianna. They'd been pretty much  
in the same rut I was in. They were Pagan, and didn't have many friends.  
  
But what's the point in hearing me rant on and on about how my  
life sucks? Does it really matter? I was still going to kill myself.  
  
I glared down at the pavement angrily. Usually the high school  
was closed, but because of summer school it was open. But that wasn't why  
I was there. I had graduated. Just barely, but I had.  
  
But this situation had nothing to do with Lilith and Mrianna.  
They were dead, I had gotten used to it. This was something completely  
different. This was for me. As selfish as it sounds, I was doing this for  
myself.  
  
I bit my lip, something I commonly did when nervous, and noted  
how far away the ground seemed from the angle I was at. I blinked back  
tears and jumped.  
  
I suppose it's now that I should tell you this.  
  
Don't try this at home.  
  
In fact ... don't try it period.  
  
The pavement rushed up at me, and I shut my eyes tightly,  
getting ready for the pain I would soon feel. But it never came. In fact,  
I was no longer falling. I was ... hovering?  
  
I opened my eyes, looking around. No, I wasn't hovering on my  
own accord, someone was holding me. Somewhere very tall, and very  
muscular, alongside being green.  
  
"Piccoro-sama?!" I asked. "What the -- ?!"  
  
"Stop screaming or I'll drop you," Piccolo threatened. "I do not  
enjoy carrying people around."  
  
"Drop me? I was aiming at that," I grumbled. "And I don't like  
being carried. Maybe we could compromise and you could just go ahead and  
let go."  
  
"Hmph," Piccolo adjusted me in his arms as if I were nothing more  
than a doll. "Really, kid, I thought you had more sense than that."  
  
I felt my brow raise. A compliment? Well, Piccolo's form of one.  
I wasn't to get another one, that I knew, unless he was drunk or stoned  
or both. 'But neither three will be occurring anytime soon, I shouldn't  
take this for granted.'  
  
"Uh huh," I grumbled as one of his claw-like fingernails  
scratched my arm. "You need a manicure. You know, you'd look really good  
in black."  
  
"You are possibly the strangest human I have ever met," Piccolo  
said. "Just what are you doing here anyway?"  
  
"Wish I knew," I sighed. "I jump off the high school and end  
up ..." I looked around, and realised there was another Piccolo hovering  
nearby, looking just as annoyed as the other. "Oh. Hmm. Talking to  
yourself?"  
  
"I was attempting to train," the Piccolo that was holding me   
said. "You managed to fall right in the middle of our battle."  
  
"Hmm, sorry," I sweatdropped. And then I realised that I had  
indeed sweatdropped. I looked down to my hand. "Oh, shit ... I'm two  
dimensional!"  
  
"Yes. Our worlds are very different." The two Piccolos began  
floating down to ground, and I was placed on solid flooring once again.  
I sighed, adjusting my clothing.  
  
I certainly was different from when I was third dimensional. Of  
course, this was Dragonball Z, most of the women had perfect figures  
anyway. I adjusted my shirt, a grey suit blouse, and fixed my jeans,  
dark stone-washed blue. "Well, this is odd."  
  
"Somewhat," one of the Piccolo voiced, looking to his other self.  
"Excuse us for a moment."  
  
I felt my brow raise again. Piccolo with manners? What did I miss  
in the time period since I last saw him? But as he began the rather  
gruelling process of merging the two forms together, I began to under-  
stand what he was talking about. It was certainly not pretty, and was  
certainly very close to being disgusting. And yet, the first words out  
of mouth, definitely uncharacteristic of what many fixate me as, were ...  
  
"Does that hurt?"  
  
"Somewhat," Piccolo replied. "Quite amazed you aren't ill from  
that little metamorphosis."  
  
"Nah, just you, saw it on the show over a million times, and it  
never grossed me out then, why should it start now?" I shrugged, looking  
around the area. It was a desert-like environment, one I recognised from  
the television show. It had been the training facility for Gohan, and I  
supposed it was also Piccolo's home.  
  
"Just me?" Piccolo folded his arms over his chest. "You sound  
like you've known me all your life."  
  
"Well, I've known you all your life," I smirked, looking back to  
him. "I mean, in the cartoon. Not exactly like the real thing, but  
considering? It's pretty close."  
  
Piccolo looked up to the sun, which was low in the horizon. "I  
can take you to Gokuu's home, I'm sure he can get you someplace to stay."  
  
"If I get stuck with Chi-Chi I'm killing someone," I muttered.  
"I didn't like her on the cartoon, and I sincerely doubt I'll like her  
now."  
  
Piccolo smirked to himself. "We should get going before it's too  
late. Complain and I drop you."  
  
"Wrong choice of words," I voiced as he picked me up. "Just don't  
speed or anything."  
  
"There aren't speed limits on flying." Piccolo smirked, taking  
off into the sky, a slightly bemused Gabriyel Adria Crowwe in his arms.  
Of course, the other part of me that was not amused was nervous like  
I-don't-know-what.  
  
At least he wasn't speeding.  
  
  
=====  
  
  
The person to open the door was a kid who made me think of some  
sort of little Gokuu -- that, or he was Goten. Either way, he didn't  
waste any time going off to get his father.  
  
"Mind if I leave?" Piccolo asked, folding his arms over his  
chest. "Not that I don't want to see Gohan, but I was interrupted in my  
training."  
  
"I have a feeling you wouldn't care if I voiced my opinion  
anyway," I answered. "Talk to you later, Piccolo."  
  
Piccolo nodded, and without a word took off into the sky, no  
doubt speeding. I smirked to myself, turning back to the doorway as  
Gokuu walked out. He seemed to stare at me for a moment, before he said  
something in Japanese.  
  
I cleared my throat. "Gokuu, you know I only speak English."  
  
Gokuu broke into a grin. "Gabe-chan! What are you doing here?  
Wow, you've grown ... not much taller, though."  
  
"I fell out of the sky, Piccolo caught me, and then he brought  
me here. Of course, how I ended up in the sky, or in this dimension, is  
still to be known, but anyway ... how the heck did you remember me?"  
  
"Gohan had a picture of you, Lilith, and Mrianna on his wall, it  
was for the Waiyaado movie. The third one, I think. Anyway ... you have  
no idea why you're here?"  
  
"None whatsoever. I jumped off the high school, ended up in an  
alternate universe."  
  
"You attempted suicide?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Gabriyel ..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know, and I'm not going to try it again. I  
dislike falling now. A lot." Of course, there are other forms of  
suicide ...  
  
"Where's Lilith and Mrianna?"  
  
I sighed. "Six feet under, if you get my meaning."  
  
Gokuu's brows furrowed as he went into thinking mode. Then,  
suddenly, he seemed to understand. "Oh. Hmm, well, you can come in.  
Chi-Chi's out with Buruma's mother after her dragged her off, so it's  
just Goten, Gohan, and I. Um, I'm assuming you have some idea who Goten  
is."  
  
"The guy who answered the door. He looks a lot like you. A whole  
lot like you. As in, identical."  
  
"Um, yeah, that's him. Come on in ... uh, do you have anyplace  
to stay?" Gokuu opened the door farther, letting me in.  
  
"I just fell out of the sky. No," I slipped off my boots. "Heh,  
this situation still freaks me out. I'm a cartoon." I eyed my hand, my  
fingernails still black. "Hmm ..." And then I noticed my arm. "Oo, no  
hair ..."  
  
Gokuu sweatdropped. "Um ... yeah ... uh, Gabe, are you okay?"  
  
I looked up, sweatdropping. "Hmm, sorry ..."  
  
I heard a voice, and we both turned to face a very tall man with  
short black hair, black eyes, and glasses. He adjusted them, eyeing me  
oddly, holding a book in his hand. He had been speaking Japanese, so  
once again I was totally lost.  
  
"Gohan ... ah, I'm sure you remember Gabriyel?" Gokuu asked,  
sweatdropping.  
  
Gohan's brow rose, and he smiled. "Gabriyel? What are you doing  
here?"  
  
I sweatdropped once again. "Hi Gohan. I, uh, well, I tried to  
kill myself and ended up here."  
  
Gohan chuckled. "So, where's Lilith and Mrianna?"  
  
"Um, well ... Mrianna, who was twenty, was driving home from   
university with Lilith, who was eighteen, who went to pick her up ...  
this drunk driver came out and kinda hit their car, and they both kinda  
... sorta ... well, died."  
  
"The end of Waiyaado," Gohan's smile faded, and he looked to his  
father, who let out a sigh. He looked back to me. "Just like in the  
movie ..."  
  
"There was never an ending to Dragonball Z, I don't think ... I  
think Gokuu went to HFIL to fight Frieza or something. And then when he  
couldn't come back, Piccolo switched places with him. I can't really  
remember, it's been a while."  
  
"You sure it wasn't Gohan?" Gokuu asked.  
  
"I'm sure," I sweatdropped. "Very sure. Mrianna would have lost  
it if it had been Gohan ..."  
  
Gohan sat in a chair at the table, taking off his glasses and  
setting them on the table. I shoved my hands into my pockets, looking  
around. I was, undoubtedly, in the kitchen. I remembered it well from  
the cartoon. Especially the part where Gohan had been imagining what  
would happened if Captain Ginyu and Gokuu stayed in switched bodies, and  
Gokuu-as-Ginyu had been wolfing down the food. I smirked a bit at the  
reminisce. I remembered distinctly Mrianna and Lilith laughing over it.  
  
"Heh ... I remember this place," I hooked my left thumb on my  
pocket, walking further into the house. "Well, from the cartoon ... of  
course, Gohan wasn't so ... tall ..."  
  
Gohan looked over to me, smiling. "You hate me now, don't you?"  
  
"Yes," I replied, grinning. "You get taller and I'm stuck as  
five foot three."  
  
"Hmm, I never thought there was that much of a time difference  
between our worlds," Gohan mused. "You're eighteen, correct? It's been  
roughly thirteen years here since we last saw you."  
  
"It's probably because in your cartoon they always had everyone  
grow up fast. I mean, in Dragonball GT you're married and with kids,  
while in Dragonball Z you'd last been ten or something. I can't remember,  
I think it ended at Goten's birth. And then, in Dragonball, the last  
time we hear of Gokuu he's a little kid, and then in Dragonball Z he's  
married to Chi-Chi and has a kid. I can't remember much of Dragonball,  
except for when Oolong wished for the underwear."  
  
"I remember that," Gokuu grinned. "He's still as weird."  
  
"Heh, she's younger than me and knows more about your past than  
I do," Gohan said. "Just where are you staying, by the way?"  
  
"Nowhere," I sweatdropped. "I have my wallet with me, but I  
don't know if I have a bank account in this dimension, so ... heh ..."  
  
"Hmm ... well, you could come stay in my apartment. I doubt okaa  
would approve much, she never really liked your character much." Gohan  
sweatdropped. "No offence."  
  
"I neither liked your mother much either, so the feeling is  
mutual," I clasped my hands together behind my back, looking out the  
window at the dark sky, stars still just beginning to show. "I don't  
know. If Mrianna were alive she'd kill me."  
  
"That was a very odd sentence."  
  
"For me, it's not."  
  
"She has a point," Gokuu scratched the back of his neck. "Heh."  
  
More Japanese. Another voice joined the conversation, and I  
turned to face the little Chibi Gokuu. Gokuu replied in Japanese, and I  
felt my brow raise.  
  
"Um, sorry, I didn't know you were only English," said the kid.  
"What's going on?"  
  
"You know those posters I used to have in my bedroom? Well, she  
is the brunette girl. Er, well, she was the short one," Gohan explained.  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Short. Oy vey."  
  
"Goten, this is Gabriyel. Gabriyel, this is Goten," Gokuu  
grinned. "Um, you're a cartoon to her, and she's a cartoon to you. It's  
hard to explain, don't ask."  
  
Goten nodded slowly. "Right ... hi."  
  
"Aloha," I replied with a nod.  
  
"Aa ... loha?"  
  
"It's Hawaiian. It means hello, and it also means goodbye."  
  
"Uh huh ..." Goten gave his father a funny look. "I'm going back  
to my television show ... bye."  
  
Gokuu nodded. "Right."  
  
"Well, I should be going ... I guess I'll take Gabriyel with me  
then," Gohan said, standing and shrugging. "Talk to you later, otousan."  
  
"Talk to you later," Gokuu replied. "Goodbye, Gabe-chan."  
  
"Eh heh ... bye," I waved, following Gohan out the door after  
having slipped on my boots. "Please tell me we're using a car."  
  
"Yes, why?" Gohan asked.  
  
"Because I just flew here from Piccolo's training ground. Or  
rather? I was carried here," I sweatdropped, following Gohan to a hover  
car thing. I blinked several times. 'Hoo boy ...'  
  
Gohan got in. "And what did he say to that?"  
  
"Well ... truthfully, he didn't seem to care," I shrugged,  
getting in beside him. "It's hard to tell with him though."  
  
"I didn't think he would," I thought I heard Gohan mumble under  
his breath as the engine drowned out most of his words.  
  
"Pardon?" I queried, looking over to him, somewhat incredulous.  
  
"Hmm? Oh, uh, nothing," Gohan sweatdropped, grinning nervously.  
Funny, he inherited a lot from his father, including the trademark grin  
that Mrianna had so many images of.  
  
I shook my head, looking out the window, all the time wondering  
what Gohan meant by the small snippet of inarticulate speech.  
  
  
=====  
  
  
I lay on Gohan's couch, after having won a war over who would  
sleep where. His apartment was, unsurprisingly, very clean, and he  
reminded me a great deal of some sort of antithesis of Mrianna. I  
smirked to myself, staring at the ceiling.  
  
'This isn't happening ... it can't be happening. It's just not  
possible ... is it?' my thoughts were interrupted by an annoying sound I  
recognised as the phone. I sat up, wondering where Gohan kept his phone.  
He was probably asleep by now.  
  
Gohan came out of his bedroom, grabbing a phone off the wall in  
the hallway, starting to speak in Japanese. I pulled the bulky T-shirt  
down further over my thighs, the one he had lent me for the night, and  
sat up, watching his expression change to, what I suppose, was ultimate  
joy. I tilted my head, usually not one who would bother someone about  
personal phone calls, nor one who would care in the first place.  
  
Gohan hung the phone up, walking over, grinning. "Guess what?"  
  
"Um, what?" I asked, almost afraid to ask what would make him so  
happy. I didn't know Gohan very well, I paid little to no attention to  
him on the television show.  
  
"Popo visited otousan ... Gokuu thinks he knows where Mrianna  
and Lilith are."  
  
"Erm, pardon?!"  
  
"Look, I'll explain in the morning ... you just get to bed and  
in the morning we can head to otousan's and figure things out."  
  
I nodded slowly. "Riiight ..."  
  
Gohan grinned. "Night, Gabe-chan."  
  
"Goodnight."  
  
Gohan walked off into his bedroom, disappearing behind the door  
as it shut behind himself. I lay back down, bringing the blanket around  
myself and wondering all the time what he meant.  
  
'Does that mean Mrianna and Lilith are here too?'  
  
I looked up as a shadow played across the room, interrupting the  
moonlight. I stood, walking over to the sliding doors out onto the  
apartment's balcony, opening them and looking out to Piccolo, who was  
standing, arms folded over his chest, watching the horizon, cape blowing  
in the cold night's breeze.  
  
"Dramatic," I commented, stepping outside into the crisp air.  
  
Piccolo looked down to me. "Hmph."  
  
I smirked, leaning against the side of the balcony, watching the  
cars below. "Came to see Gohan?"  
  
"I had not expected you to be here," Piccolo grumbled.  
  
"I love you, too," I joked, smirking up to him. "You going to  
just stand here all night, or should I get Gohan?"  
  
"Is he asleep?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
"Then no. It is unimportant."  
  
"Probably something about training, huh?" I looked back to the  
street. "It'd be a nice night if this wasn't the city."  
  
"You'd think so."  
  
"Yes, I would." I headed back to the doors. "Goodnight,  
Piccoro-sama."  
  
Piccolo nodded in reply, jumping onto the ledge and leaping off  
into the sky in a blur of green and white, tinged with blue. I watched  
him disappear into the distance before re-entering the apartment, in  
time to watch Gohan disappear into the bedroom. I shook my head.  
  
'Voyeur.'  
  
  
=========================================================================  
  



	5. Epilogue

  
  
=========================================================================  
  
  
Threnody = Verse05: Epilogue  
Author = Gabriyel Crowwe [ gabriyel@planetnamek.org ]  
Website = http://gabriyel.artshost.com/dbz  
  
  
=====  
  
  
I awoke to the birds chirping and sun on my face. Someone was  
humming cheerfully from behind me. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes,  
turning over onto my back and looking up at the ceiling, all the time  
wondering where I was.  
  
'Gee, maybe I'm in my own personal Hell ...'  
  
I sat up, running a hand through my hair, realising something.  
Everything looked as if someone had set the computer screen on 256  
colours. I blinked several times. Everything was two dimensions.  
  
I then decided to sweatdrop. 'Duh, Gabe. You're in the Dragon-  
ball Z world, remember?'  
  
I swung my legs around the edge of the couch, trying to locate the source of the humming. Gohan was sitting at a desk, writing.  
  
"I'm up, I'm up," I grumbled.  
  
He turned to face me. "Good morning. I decided not to wake you,  
since I know you love to sleep in."  
  
I noticed something green and white sitting outside, and my brow  
rose. Piccolo was sitting, apparently meditating, out on the balcony. I  
shook my head.  
  
"Mind if I have a shower or something?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah, no problem," Gohan stood, walking to the corridor and  
pointing to a door. "In there."  
  
"Okay, thanks." I grabbed my clothes, tiptoeing off down the  
hallway and into the bathroom. I set my clothes on the cover to the  
toilet, looking at my reflection in the mirror.  
  
"I am never going to get used to this," I groaned, running a  
hand through my hair. "Definitely not."  
  
After a brief shower, which for me was fifteen minutes, I  
dressed and stepped, barefoot and hair drenched, into the hallway. I  
headed down to the corridor to the living room where Gohan was sitting  
on the couch, flipping through channels on television.  
  
"Back," I said, slipping on my glasses and grabbing a sock,  
leaning against the couch as I put it on, alongside the other. "I still  
have no balance whatsoever."  
  
Gohan chuckled, standing. "So, we're heading to otou's ... just  
be careful around okaasan, okay?"  
  
"Oh, sure, easy for you to say," I mumbled under my breath,  
slipping on my boots. I looked up as Piccolo entered, arms folded over  
his chest. How ... Piccolo-ish.  
  
"Piccolo'll meet us there," Gohan said, slipping on a pair of  
shoes. "Come on, Gabe." He grabbed me by the arm, pulling me out of the  
apartment.  
  
"Hyperactive much?!"  
  
  
=====  
  
  
Gokuu's kitchen was quite full of people. Well, to me it was. I  
recognised Kurilin, who was sitting at the table, talking to Gokuu.  
Piccolo was standing in a corner, arms folded over his chest. Bejiita  
was sitting beside Gokuu, arms folded and looking menacingly at anyone  
who dared give him a second look. Goten was sitting beside Kurilin, with  
his mother beside him.  
  
"Hey," Gohan greeted. "We made it."  
  
"Sunday driver," I mumbled under my breath.  
  
"Hey!" Gokuu greeted. "Good morning, Gabriyel."  
  
I waved, but said nothing. I noticed Chi-Chi eyeing me warily,  
and I arched a brow in her direction. 'Hmph ...'  
  
"All right, let me explain what's going on," Gokuu stood,  
gesturing for Gohan and I to sit down. "Popo came to visit me last night  
with a message."  
  
"Go figure," I sat down by Bejiita, Gohan taking the other  
remaining chair, which was beside Chi-Chi.  
  
"Apparently, one of you made a subconscious wish to be sent  
here. I guess, at the time is was pretty impossible, but when you guys  
died you got sent here. Thing is, you have alternate universe forms too,  
and they kinda switched with you. They're dead, and you're alive."  
  
"Let me get this straight ... Mrianna and Lilith are here?" I  
asked.  
  
"Unfortunately," Bejiita grumbled.  
  
Gokuu sweatdropped. "Eh heh ... anyway, now we have to find them.  
Popo says they will be at a certain park in an hour, so we can find them  
there."  
  
"Do they look much different?" Gohan asked.  
  
"Don't think."  
  
"Gohan, dear, which one of those characters was this?" Chi-Chi  
asked, staring at my fingernails.  
  
"Gabriyel," Gohan sweatdropped. "Um, Gabriyel, meet Chi-Chi.  
You're, uh, met Bejiita and Goten ... and that's Kurilin."  
  
"Hi," Kurilin spoke for the first time since I had arrived. I   
have him a small wave.  
  
Gohan was speaking in Japanese with Chi-Chi now, and she was  
beginning to look very angry. I smirked to myself, somewhat smugly. She  
sent me a scowl before she stomped out of the kitchen, disappearing.  
  
"Gabriyel has an enemy," Bejiita said, smirking.  
  
"Ally said she'd be here by now, didn't she?" Kurilin asked  
Bejiita.  
  
"Ally?" I asked, looking over to him.  
  
"My wife," Bejiita said.  
  
I blinked several times, before my voice raised another octave.  
"Alicia? Long brown hair, green eyes, got sent here by Shenlong?"  
  
"You know her?" Bejiita queried, brow raised.  
  
"Yeah ... read her fan fiction, and I knew her on-line for a  
while. She was Olympia Twelve. Never quite understood why she had that  
nickname. Hmm ... that means Trunks never existed. Heh, poor Mrianna."  
  
"Don't tell me, the hyperactive brunette had crushes on other  
characters?" Bejiita interrogated.  
  
"This is weird," Kurilin muttered. "I've watched 'Wired' before  
with Gohan ... this is exactly like Gabriyel. Except her voice was way  
different and she spoke Japanese."  
  
"They changed the voices on Dragonball Z practically every  
episode ... Gokuu's kept sounding like he was some total idiot--" I  
started, cut off by Bejiita.  
  
"Which he is."  
  
"You two have such a cute relationship."  
  
"Hah! Don't make me laugh."  
  
"Just did."  
  
"Right, uh ... this coming from the girl who claimed that  
Bejiita and I sharing a bed was a death wish?" Gokuu sweatdropped.  
  
"That came out really ... wrong," Kurilin said, sweatdropping.  
  
"Don't even suggest it," Bejiita growled to him.  
  
"Right ..." Goten voiced. "Well, this is an odd conversation."  
  
"Somewhat," Gokuu said, chuckling nervously and scratching the  
back of his neck. "As in, very much so."  
  
"Hello?"  
  
We turned to face an attractive brunette woman who had just  
walked in the door. Her long hair reached down her back in a braid, and  
she surveyed us all with bright green eyes.  
  
"About time," Bejiita grumbled.  
  
"Um, Gabriyel, this is Ally," said Gohan, gesturing to the   
woman. "Ally, this is Gabriyel."  
  
"Um, yeah, I know her," I sweatdropped. "Acadian Goth."  
  
Ally grinned. "Oh, hi! I knew your name was familiar, but I  
never thought ... how'd you get here?"  
  
"Jumped off the high school, ended up here."  
  
"Piccolo saved her," Gohan added.  
  
"He didn't save me. He ... caught me ... uh ..."  
  
"She's trying to save his reputation, you can tell," Bejiita  
grumbled, shaking his head.  
  
"Ally, can I kill your husband?"  
  
"Preferably not, I'd like to keep him around for a little  
longer."  
  
"Like you could," Bejiita growled.  
  
"I probably couldn't, but I could try."  
  
Ally sat down in Chi-Chi's seat. "So, what'd I miss?"  
  
"Talking," Gokuu grinned. "And in Bejiita's and Gabe's cases,  
arguing."  
  
"I just miss yelling at Mrianna," I said with a sigh, folding  
my arms and setting my chin on them. "And I miss Canada. It was quiet.  
Kind of. Not like the cities."  
  
"Where are you staying?" Ally asked me.  
  
"She spent last night on my couch," Gohan said. "She wouldn't  
take the bed." He poked me in the ribcage.  
  
"You're too tall for the couch anyway, so stop complaining," I  
grumbled, rubbing my side. "No poking."  
  
"Heh ..." Ally sweatdropped.  
  
"Well, you have other versions of you on this world, you could  
just move back to Canada," Gokuu suggested.  
  
"Good idea ... then I can go to that art school I got accepted  
into," I smirked, then frowned. "Dammit. That art school is in Tokyo. I  
just can't get rid of you guys."  
  
"That means Mrianna too?" Gohan asked.  
  
"You sound like a pitiful little puppy," Bejiita answered.  
  
"Well, she has to continue college in Newfoundland," I shrugged.  
"And Lilith'll be going to college too. Lord knows where. She got  
accepted somewhere."  
  
"You'll have to move back here after university," Ally said,  
grinning. "That'd be interesting."  
  
"Oh, I'm sure Mrianna will most definitely," I said, with a  
sweatdrop. "I wanted to live in Japan anyway. Don't know if I'll live  
anywhere close to you guys."  
  
"We have to find Lilith and Mrianna first," Kurilin voiced.  
  
"Assuming Kakarotto finds the right park," Bejiita looked over  
to Gokuu, brow raised.  
  
"I know where it is," Gokuu said, grinning. "No problem."  
  
"You and Mrianna are so alike it's ... frightening," I said,  
blinking several times. "Very frightening."  
  
"Heh, I noticed that," Gohan said.  
  
"Hmm ... maybe a mix between Gabriyel and Gokuu?" Kurilin  
suggested.  
  
"They spawned," Gohan joked. I elbowed him, and he abruptly shut  
up, smiling innocently. I sweatdropped.  
  
"Oy vey."  
  
  
=====  
  
  
"See them?" Gohan asked, looking about.  
  
"No," Bejiita replied, flatly.  
  
Ally smirked. "So, Gabriyel, you still like Piccolo?"  
  
"What does Piccolo have to do with anything?" I asked, folding  
my arms over my chest.  
  
"Oh, nothing," Ally replied, beaming. "But he's still single."  
  
"Ally, Piccolo has no gender. He will always be single," I  
deadpanned.  
  
"You are so stubborn," Ally replied, shaking her head.  
  
"I know," I replied. "And, yes."  
  
"Pardon?" Ally asked, brow raised.  
  
Gohan smirked, eyes still on the people in the park. "They  
should be here ..."  
  
"Yes, but they aren't, can we go?" Bejiita groaned.  
  
Ally linked her arm with his, which managed to silence him for a  
little while. I smirked, hooking my thumbs on my jeans, looking up to  
the sky where Gokuu and Piccolo were hovering around, looking about.  
They both flew off, and disappeared out of my line of vision. I adjusted  
my glasses, noticing they had landed a bit away.  
  
"Who're Gokuu and Piccolo talking to?" Ally asked.  
  
Gohan grinned. "I think I know who."  
  
Gokuu and Piccolo led the way, the two others they had found  
following close behind. Gokuu waved to us, beaming wide. I ran a hand  
through my hair, watching the sky.  
  
"Wow, hi!" Mrianna waved, pigtails bouncing. "Gabie, we had the  
biggest shopping spree ..."  
  
Lilith rolled her eyes. "Hey."  
  
"You two know the rules -- no dying before the anti-social  
psychopath, remember?" I asked, pointing at them. "And if either of you  
bought anything with dragons on it, I get to kick your asses in."  
  
Mrianna grinned. "Oh no, never."  
  
"Hey!" Gohan held up a hand. "Welcome to Japan."  
  
"We're anime! Eee!" Mrianna grinned, hugging Gohan.  
  
I suppose that even Lilith and I had not expected that, Gohan  
certainly had not, but he hugged her back.  
  
"You guys remember that Arishia-chan person? Mrianna, you read  
her fan fictions, right?" I gestured to Ally. "Well, she's here too."  
  
"Except, I didn't die," Ally said. "Hello. You're the people  
Gabe wrote about."  
  
"Gabriyel, do you realise something?" Lilith asked me. "Mri  
called you Gabie."  
  
"First you die without my permission, and now you go around  
using the nickname I absolutely abhor?!" I shook my head. "Mrianna you  
are so dead!"  
  
"I know!" Mrianna squealed. "Isn't it great? I'm all anime!"  
  
"Yeah, she'd notice that," Bejiita grumbled.  
  
Gokuu sweatdropped, chuckling nervously. "Eh heh ..."  
  
"You know what we should have? A party! We're all together and  
stuff ... it'd be great!" Mrianna suggested as we headed off to the edge  
of the park where we could get back to the hover cars.  
  
"You're pushing it," I deadpanned.  
  
"Actually --" Gohan started.  
  
"Don't try it," Lilith shook her head. "Don't influence Mri."  
  
"You have a very loving friendship," Ally remarked.  
  
"Loving?" Lilith squeaked.  
  
"Love? Erm, no ..." I shook my head. "I don't believe in it."  
  
"Go figure," Gohan mused.  
  
"That's my line!"  
  
"Then, what was that you said about Piccolo?" Mrianna asked.  
  
"I called him fluffy."  
  
"Gohan is fluffy, Gokuu is fluffy, Piccolo has no body hair, how  
the HFIL does he become 'fluffy'?!" Bejiita asked.  
  
"It's a long story, okay?"  
  
"Goddess, what have I done?" Mrianna asked, looking up to the  
sky.  
  
Lilith poked her. "You just spent most of your money on a  
shopping spree in Tokyo, that's what."  
  
"Thibbit."  
  
"That's my line!"  
  
  
=====  
  
  
After having gotten into my own apartment, which was close to  
Gohan's, Mrianna's and Lilith's, with some of the things belonging to my  
alternate self, I had attempted to cut myself off from the Dragonball Z  
characters. I don't know, I suppose subconsciously I hadn't wanted to  
believe that they were here. So I busied myself in applications for  
various art schools in the area, and, to expand my horizons, a couple of  
writing and journalism schools as well.  
  
But it's always nice to take a break.  
  
I sighed to myself, clasping my hands together behind my back as  
I stood on the cliff overlooking Piccolo's training area. I watched the  
stars begin their nightly dance amidst clouds from the day's rainstorms  
that had poured down like buckets, reminding me of the night I had last  
really spoken to Piccolo.  
  
'Of course he's not here, idiot. He's probably got someplace to  
be. Just because he trains here doesn't mean he lives here.'  
  
I ran a hand over my ponytail, watching the moon in the far  
distance, and smirked to myself, wind chilling me to the bones. But I  
was used to it, and ignored the cold. It was nothing new.  
  
"Hmm, looking for me?" came a low-pitched voice, speaking in my  
first language, English.  
  
"No, just needed to get out into the night," I replied, turning  
to face Piccolo, floating beside the edge of the cliff. I, proudly, was  
speaking in Japanese, as a tutor had taught me it in the past months  
since I had arrived.  
  
"Odd," Piccolo commented, landing on the ground. "Never thought  
you'd ever speak Japanese."  
  
"Ah, well, I do now," I looked back to the moon. "Well, how have  
you been?"  
  
"Erm, pardon?" came Piccolo's, somewhat surprised, voice, still  
remaining his monotonous self albeit the fact he was not used to the  
question.  
  
I looked back to him, blinking several times. "I asked 'how have  
you been'?"  
  
Piccolo's brow raised briefly. "Hrmph ... fine."  
  
I shook my head. "I'm attempting to be nice, I could always  
leave if you rather."  
  
Piccolo folded his arms over his chest, looking off to the  
landscape. "I don't care."  
  
I hooked my thumbs onto my pockets, watching him. He was  
undoubtedly lying. He was, no doubt, uncomfortable by my presence, but  
it was somewhat sweet -- he was trying to be kind about it.  
  
"You're lying," I sang after much silence.  
  
"I do not understand you," Piccolo grunted.  
  
"Few do," I answered, pulling my jacket closer around me. "I'm  
going to go ... look, Piccolo, I understand fully what it's like to be  
alone most of your life, but you keep pushing people away and ... oh,  
never mind, I'm just being a hypocrite. I'm the one who hasn't talked to  
anyone in two months ..." I ended my ramble, trailing off. I let out a  
sigh. "Goodbye."  
  
"Mind finishing your babbling first?" Piccolo asked as I began  
to walk away. I paused, turning to face him.  
  
"Well ... I mean, you're always pushing people away. People do  
care for you, Piccoro-sama, really ... I mean, I know Gohan does. And  
you know that ... well, I do." I blushed, although it was probably  
unseen in the low light. "I'm being hypocritical, however, so I should  
just shut up and leave you alone."  
  
Piccolo smirked. "Quite."  
  
I turned, walking off down the cliff, without so much as a word  
from Piccolo. Shoving my hands in my pockets I watched the moon,  
continuing off down the road, back towards the Capsule Corps area.  
  
I knew I should get over him. I mean, Piccolo's not even a him,  
he's an 'it'. So why did I feel so much for him? I mean, it was an  
idiotic schoolgirl crush that originated from when I was, what, twelve?  
Thirteen? Either way, I was being a moron about the whole thing.  
  
'Face it, Gabe, you're just going to depress yourself more  
worrying about this. At least you're here.'  
  
Yeah.  
  
At least.  
  
Funny. I have pretty much everything I could want. I'm living in  
Japan -- in an anime cartoon, nonetheless. And yet ... I'm still  
depressed.  
  
Well. Goes to show you ... the more things change, the more  
they stay the same.  
  
  
=========================================================================  
  



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